It was the sports news of the day in Boston: Dennis Schröder is playing for the Boston Celtics in the new NBA season. On paper, that’s not a descent at first. Because both his old club, the Los Angeles Lakers, and his new club are NBA record champions, each with 17 titles.
But that was about it with the parallels. Because sportily and financially, this deal is a fiasco for the Braunschweiger. Or to put it another way: Dennis Schröder has gambled away.
In the spring, the Lakers had offered him a contract extension and wanted to pay the playmaker $ 84 million for four more years. But Schröder refused – to the amazement of the media in LA
Schröder saw market value at $ 25 million a year
Because in the NBA, this ego world, money is not just about financial, but also about appreciation and status. In other words: where do I rank with my income on the payroll? This is led by Steph Curry, who makes $ 45 million a year. Schröder saw its market value at at least $ 25 million. However, he had then played weak playoffs. The Lakers were eliminated as defending champions in the first round against the Phoenix Suns because of some injured top performers – and club legend Magic Johnson sharply criticized Schröder. “I don’t think he’s a Laker, he lacks the winning mentality and attitude that we need. He had a chance to prove himself against Phoenix – and he failed.”
Schröder was, at least outwardly, unimpressed. In his last interview in Los Angeles before the summer break, he was confident about his future with the Lakers. “That won’t be a problem. I think we will speak there. I will first retire with my family, recharge my batteries and then see how things go on.”
“Only” $ 5.9 million in Boston
He’s not going any further with the Lakers – who have now found a more than equal replacement in star player Russell Westbrook – but with the Boston Celtics. Schröder signed for a year and received “only” 5.9 million dollars instead of the guaranteed 21 million. Because there was simply no market for his salary demands. Because: all the clubs in his playmaker position were already well filled. Bad for him, good for Boston. In the local media, the German was described as a “strong, offensive player” who will have a “huge influence on the Celtics team”.
For Schröder himself, Boston is a stage on which he can show the league for a year that he is actually worth more than 20 million dollars a year. And since his contract with the Celtics is only valid for one year, he can test his worth again next summer as an actor without a club. However, he will always be seen in league history as the player who gambled away for $ 78 million.
No chance of the championship
In addition to the financial mistake, he also has very different athletic requirements than in LA. There Schröder played alongside the superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis – and the Lakers are again considered contenders for the title. The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, have a good team and are among the safe playoff teams – but they still have no chance of the championship.
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